Man arrested; kids hidden under floorboards

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The RCMP have arrested a 41-year-old Picadilly man for illegally having teenage girls in his home and giving them liquor.

The police received a complaint around 8:30 p.m. Monday night that Brian Benoit, who was under a court order to stay away from minors, was drinking with underage people in his home in the Piccadilly area.

Police looked through a window, saw the man inside with two girls, and arrested him when he came to the door for a breach of an undertaking.

A search a short time later discovered the girls, aged 12 and 13, hidden in a secret compartment in a crawlspace under the floorboards of the living room.

The girls were returned to their parents.

Benoit was taken into custody and charged with breaching an undertaking and supplying liquor to minors.

He appeared in court in Stephenville Wednesday, was remanded into custody and is expected to make another appearance on Thursday.

The RCMP is not releasing information about the court order for the man not to be around underage children.